UPDATE: Child nearly drowns in Whitfield County pool

Witnesses tell Channel 3, the child was unconscious and his body was blue when he was pulled from the water.

Wednesday, August 17th 2016, 6:45 pm EDT by Ken Nicholson

Updated:

Thursday, August 18th 2016, 7:58 am EDT

UPDATE: School is back in session, and summer is over for most children, but that doesn't mean the dangers of swimming pools are gone.

On Wednesday afternoon, Chattanooga Police were called to a home on Woodmore Lane, where a one-year-old boy was found unconscious in a small pool. The child later died in the hospital.

Later the same evening, a child nearly drowned at another pool in Whitfield County.

A two-year-old was found unconscious in the Highland Forest neighborhood pool in Cohutta. In this incident, a lifeguard was on duty, and was able to help revive the boy before first responders arrived.

"He was just floating on top of the water, face-down," said Austin Pahr, who was swimming when he heard someone yell about a child in the pool.

"I actually picked him up, and turned him over. I noticed he wasn't breathing," Pahr said. "When I looked at him, he was as blue as a blueberry."

Witnesses said the boy was found in the shallow end, near the steps.

"The lifeguard jumped in right beside. That's when he said, there's a kid down," said Chip Whitfield, Highland Forest Neighborhood Association President, who was swimming at the pool.

According to Whitfield, the child was with his father and siblings in the parking lot. While the dad was loading up the car to leave, the two-year-old ran back to the pool.

A certified lifeguard was on duty, and started CPR with the boy's father.

After a few chest compressions, Whitfield said, the child coughed up water and started to breathe.

"When the child started breathing, I mean, your heart just kind of comes back up," he explained, relieved.

A LifeForce helicopter was on standby, but first responders chose to drive the child to the hospital.

Witnesses described the child as alert and crying in the ambulance.

The near-drowning happened several hours after a one-year-old died in Chattanooga. Police said the child drowned in a small pool at a home on Woodmore Lane.

It's a reminder, to all parents, that tragedy can happen in seconds.

"No matter how much you watch as a parent, a child can always slip away from you for one second," said Whitfield. "If you don't have lifeguards, you've got to keep a constant watch."

Varnell police, who were on the scene, told us the investigation will be turned over to the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office.

Stay with WRCBtv.com for updates to this story.

PREVIOUS STORY: A unconscious child was pulled from a neighborhood swimming pool this evening in Whitfield County.

It happened shortly after 6:00pm at the Highland Forest subdivision pool on Country Way.

Witnesses tell Channel 3, the child was unconscious and his body was blue when he was pulled from the water.

Our crew on the scene says a first responder performed CPR and was able to revive the child. He was taken to a local hospital and alert as the ambulance left the scene.

Hear more from the boy who pulled the child out of the pool tonight after the Olympics on Eyewitness News at 11.